Brewing, Distilling and Denaturing: Test Your Alcohol Knowledge

Booze, hooch, devil's brew. Whatever name you call it, alcohol is really just a combination of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules. But this simple compound can have a complicated effect on our bodies. How do our bodies process alcohol, and what lasting marks can it leave?

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Question 1 of 20

How much alcohol can your body eliminate in one hour?

0.5 ounces (15 milliliters)

As a rule of thumb, the average person can eliminate 0.5 ounces (15 milliliters) of alcohol per hour. So, it would take approximately one hour to eliminate the alcohol from a 12-ounce (355-milliliter) can of beer.

2 ounces (59 milliliters)

5 ounces (147 milliliters)

Question 2 of 20

Which is not a property of alcohol?

denser than water

Alcohol is less dense than water and evaporates at a lower temperature, which allows it to be distilled.

clear liquid

flammable

Question 3 of 20

What type of alcohol do people consume?

isopropyl alcohol

methyl alcohol

ethyl alcohol

The type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages is ethyl alcohol (or ethanol), made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

At what blood alcohol concentration level (BAC) can a person fall into a coma?

0.18 to 0.3 percent BAC

0.25 to 0.4 percent BAC

0.35 to 0.5 percent BAC

At 0.35 to 0.5 percent BAC, a person may become unconscious and their heart rate could slow, possibly leading to coma or even death.

Question 6 of 20

Which part of the brain does alcohol affect first?

cerebral cortex

Alcohol affects various portions of the brain, beginning with the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex manages perception, judgment and speech. As the BAC increases, more areas of the brain are affected.

limbic system

hypothalamus

Question 7 of 20

When affected by alcohol, which area of the brain causes fuzzy memories and exaggerated emotions?

cerebellum

limbic system

The brain's limbic system, which controls emotions and memory, consists of structures like the hippocampus and septal area. As alcohol affects this system, the drinker is subject to exaggerated states of emotion, like anger, aggressiveness, withdrawal and memory loss.

medulla

Question 8 of 20

Which of these is a popular misconception about alcohol?

Alcohol affects men and women differently.

Alcohol isn't absorbed as quickly by the body when there's food in the stomach.

Alcohol warms your body.

Although alcohol increases blood flow toward the skin and may momentarily give you a warming sensation, it actually causes you to lose body heat.

Question 9 of 20

What percentage of Americans over the age of 18 suffer from alcoholism?

5 percent

8 percent

In the United States, approximately 8 percent of people ages 18 and older suffer from alcohol abuse and/or dependency. This abuse or dependency costs about $1.7 billion in medical treatment, lost earnings, casualty damages and criminal/legal costs.

15 percent

Question 10 of 20

Which is not an effect of long-term alcohol use?

increased sperm production in males

Sperm production in males actually decreases because of the decreased sex-hormone secretions from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands and, possibly, the direct effect of alcohol on the testes.

loss of brain mass

heightened blood pressure

Question 11 of 20

What percentage of alcohol absorbed by the bloodstream is eliminated by the lungs?

5 percent

The lungs exhale 5 percent of alcohol. This can be detected by a breathalyzer.